Instrument for retracting the walls of an incision



8, 1 s. J. MICHAEL ET AL 2,701,562

INSTRUMENT FOR RETRACTING THE WALLS OF AN INCISION Filed Sept. 18, 1953 INVENTORS' SIDNEY 4. MICHAEL.

QAYMOND E.M9K\NLEY United States Patent INSTRUMENT FOR RETRACTING THE WALLS OF AN 1N CISION Sidney J. Michael and Raymond E. McKinley, Erie, Pa. Application September 18, 1953, Serial No. 380,908

4 Claims. (Cl. 128-20) This invention relates to surgical apparatus and more particularly to a device for retracting the walls of an incision.

The primary object of the invention is to retain the sides of an incision in suitably opened condition and to enable a surgeon to work upon the deeper tissues.

Another object is to free the user from employing any effort in retaining the incision open and to yieldingly hold the walls of the incision spread.

The above and other objects may be attained by employing this invention which embodies among its features an extensible elastic band, means carried by the band in encircling relation thereto for supporting said band in encircling relation to an incision, and means carried by the band and engaging the walls of the incision for holding said walls retracted and the incision open.

Other features include straps carried by the band supporting means for securing said band supporting means in position on the body in which the incision has been made, and hooks adjustably mounted on the band and having pointed ends upon which the walls of the incision are impaled with the band under tension so that as the band attempts to return to tension released position, the incision will be held open.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side view of a surgical implement embodying the features of this invention;

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 22 of Figure l; and

Figure 3 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional view taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawings in detail, an extensible elastic band has secured thereto for movement circumferentially therearound suitable links 12 which, as illustrated in the drawings, are connected to a relatively large supporting ring 14 which cooperates with the links 12 in holding the band 10 extended and under tension.

Carried by the band 10 for circumferential movement thereon are hooks 16 which releasably engage the band, as illustrated in Figure 3, and carry shanks 18 which terminate at their ends remote from the hooks 16 in return bends 20 carrying pointed ends 22 which are adapted to enter the walls of an incision to hold said walls retracted and the incision open.

In order to support the ring 14 on the body 1 n wh ch the incision has been made, and in proper pos1t1on with the band 10 encircling the incision, suitable snap hooks 26 carried by extensible straps 24 are engaged with the ring 14, preferably at diametrically opposite po nts, though the snap hooks may be removed circumferentlally about the ring. Suitable resilient clamps 28 are carried by the straps 24 remote from the snap hooks 26 for clamping to the body in which the incision has been made to thereby hold the ring 14 and band 10 in proper position about the incision.

In use, the operator engages the clamps 28 with the body in which the incision has been made so as to cause the straps 24 and the snap hooks 26 to hold the ring 14 in encircling relation to the incision with the band 10 encircling said incision. By supporting the band 10 on the links 12, which are carried by the ring 14, the band is held in a somewhat extended position and the user after positioning the ring 14 and the band in proper relation to the incision engages the walls of the incision by the pointed ends 22 of the return bends 20 so that the walls of the incision will be retracted and the incision held open due to the resilience of the band 10. It will be understood, of course, that in engaging the hooks defined by the return bends 20 and pointed ends 22 with the walls of the incision, the band will be extended inwardly toward the incision so that its natural resilience will tend to move the Walls of the incision away from said incision to hold it open.

While in the foregoing there has been shown and described the preferred embodiment of this invention, it is to be understood that minor changes in the details of construction, combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed is:

1. An instrument for retracting the walls of an incision comprising an extensible elastic band, a ring encircling the elastic band in spaced relation thereto, links carried by the ring and connected to the band for holding it extended, and means carried by the band for engaging the walls of an incision and holding said walls retracted and the incision open.

2. An instrument for retracting the walls of an incision comprising an extensible elastic band, a ring encircling the elastic band in spaced relation thereto, links carried by the ring for circumferential movement relative thereto, said links being connected to the band for holding it extended, and hooks carried by the band between the links for engaging the walls of an incision and holding said walls retracted and the incision open.

3. An instrument for retracting the walls of an incision comprising an extensible elastic band, a ring encircling the elastic band in spaced relation thereto, links carried by the ring for circumferential movement thereon, said links being connected to the band for holding it extended, hooks mounted on the band for circumferential movement relative thereto, and points on the hooks for piercing the walls of an incision and holding the walls extended and the incision open.

4. An instrument for retracting the walls of an incision comprising an extensible elastic band, a ring connected to the elastic band in encircling relation thereto and holding it extended, means carried by the band for engaging the walls of an incision and holding said walls retracted and the incision open, and means carried by the ring and extending outwardly therefrom for supporting the ring and band in encircling relation to the incision.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,378,050 Morris May 17, 1921 2,313,164 Nelson Mar. 9, 1943 2,493,598 Rozek Jan. 3, 1950 

